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Arctic Winter Games come to a close

The closing ceremony ends the week of events that brought in athletes from around the north.

FAIRBANKS – It’s been a week of fun, competition and camaraderie in Fairbanks for the Arctic Winter Games.

The closing ceremony on Saturday culminated the week of events that brought in athletes from around the circumpolar north.

“Fairbanks can be very proud of what we’ve accomplished this week and the athletes themselves have been remarking this is a very great experience and they love the atmosphere here in our community,” said Jeff Jacobson, the Host Society Board President.

“Fun is not the word for it; it’s incredible excitement and our community ahs turned out,” said Fairbanks-North Star Borough Mayor, Luke Hopkins. “The whole state has turned out. It’s not just our community. The volunteers are here and they’re fulfilling the roles that make this the incredible Arctic Winter Games they are.”

More than 2,000 athletes took over the Golden Heart City for the games and Fairbanks will be sad to see them go.

“Fairbanks is going to be a little depressed come Monday morning when everything’s back to normal and we’ve had such a weeklong party here with so many things to do and see and experience,” Jacobson says.

“Arctic Winter Games was a lot of fun this year. This is my fourth and final games as an athlete. I met a lot of really awesome people so it’s going to be hard to say goodbye,” said Team Alaska member Christina Glenzel.

Unlike the opening ceremony where the athletes come out with their team, at the closing ceremony they all enter the arena together.

“It’s cool cause you can find your friends and say goodbye. You come here as a team but you leave as a bunch of friends,” Glenzel says.

Fairbanks passed the Arctic Winter Games flag to the mayor of Nuuk, Greenland, and many of the athletes will be happy to compete there in 2016.

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